This summer I had the opportunity to house sit my friend's beautiful home in the foothills.  They have a VERY large garden and are growing many vegetables.  They were kind enough to pick cucumbers for me so that while I was there I could make pickles!  It was a real experience as I had not canned in quite a while.  While I was there the temperature was close to 100 degrees almost every day.  Her kind husband had set up everything I would need on a porch right outside this beautiful kitchen of theirs.  I had the large canning pot and a propane stove and everything....(yes, I had visions of me burning their gorgeous home to the ground...how could I face them when they returned?!).  But, alas, everything went according to plan and you will see the fruits of my labor at the end of this post.

  I also went down the road and picked blackberries one morning and made several jars of homemade blackberry jam.  Yum!

As I look back on this experience I am truly waiting for next year!  Hmmmmm what can I produce when I go back?

BEAUTIFUL SUNFLOWERS FROM THEIR ABUNDANT GARDEN.  THEY ARE GROWING CUCUMBERS (I made the pickles out of some), TOMATOES, HEIRLOOM TOMATOES, SQUASH, TONS OF FRUIT TREES, PUMPKINS, AND MORE THAN I CAN REMEMBER.

HERE THEY ARE!

The Fruits of My Labor

THE LONG HOT SUMMER

I have had it with summer.....I was always a fall/winter person and as I grow older I am even more a fall/winter person...I hate the heat! Next week I am going to Lake Tahoe to my twice a year quilt retreat. Unfortunately it will be 80 degrees. I always looked forward to the cool crisp weather at Zephyr Cove but unfortunately the summer people will win out....I love sweatshirts and jeans way more than shorts and tanks.

Anyway, looking forward to that time away with friends and new creations will get their start there. It is always so hard to pack because I am afraid I might leave something here in my sewing room that I might need. I remember wishing I had that certain pink fabric that was sitting at home on my shelves....but did not know I would need it....therefore, I take waaayyy more fabric than I can possibly use for the week away.

I also love my garden but I am tired of the daily watering....looking forward to falling leaves!

Above this writing you will see a few of my fall/halloween items because that is the way this works....you type and then remember that you should have put the pictures on first...oh, well...

MY STUDIO

Here are some pictures of my favorite place on earth.....my studio.

This is where I do my best creating and sewing of my one of a kind items. I decided to take some pictures to inspire me to clean up my space.

Today I want to start some dolls for some upcoming shows....even though we have two grandchildren arriving today for a few days....I want to take my fifteen year old granddaughter on a hunt with me to some thrift shops as I am looking for some vintage fabric for my creations....I will let you know how that goes. (the grandson can go with grandpa to see the fish climb the ladder at the fish hatchery).

This is a little jacket I made using a sweatshirt and appliqueing fish fabric on it.

Tweet Tweet Quilt

Well, I found a place where I could click on OLD BLOGGER STYLE....so I did..now to load pics.

I am still having trouble understanding this new Blogger! I have wanted to write again on my blog but they have made it very difficult for a person like me (that hates computers) to navigate on my blog! I have been creating things and have wanted to share new pictures with everyone, including the re-decorating my husband has done on our front porch. It all started with a very large bird cage he found at RC Willeys (love that place). I just today finished a bird quilt and I wanted to share my shabby chic ruffled quilt and my last strip quilt with Heather Bailey fabric....so....here goes, I will try to load pictures and publish this. Also, be looking for more pictures of my garden. We have had a terrible heat wave with 100's for a week and it has finally cooled to 89-90.

OOPs, same picture...can't figure out how to delete it, that's the new format for you, so here it is.

My Handmade Crowns on Etsy

So I had fun playing with paper, glitter, trims, etc. and made a couple of crowns...here they are, I hope.

Okay, so that worked....now for some pictures of my spring garden...

I am not alone in this blogging thing.....why has blogger changed everything??!! I do not even know if this will post. I wanted to post a picture of my outdoor cat who snuck into the house and made himself at home. Here goes.

SHIRRING!

I taught myself how to do shirring.....In case you do not know what that is...it is elastic thread gathering....I really thought my machine would give me a problem but it handled it like a trooper...I did not even have to do any adjustments except for lengthening my stitch. Now I am looking for things to SHIRR!

Ah, Spring!

Time for new outfits!

I swear, I cannot concentrate on one thing! I am getting ready for an upcoming show and I keep finding things to distract me....oh, well, better than being BORED! Here are a few of my newest items I have created.

OUR GARDEN

It is so beautiful today! I just had to take these pictures!

Help! Someone has taken over my blog!

I do not know why techie people have to change something that works! I have been trying to post on my blog but could not figure out what to do....It said I needed to install Google Chrome......I did and it really messed up my computer. Somehow, I found by clicking on many things, I managed to find the "old" dashboard that I originally had. Anyway, I hope I can make my way back here again. Meanwhile, I will try to load some pictures of some of my newest creations.

I WANT TO KNIT

Google Chrome, ugh!

I  do not know what I am doing but I am trying to use this new Google Chrome for my blog.  I hate how you have no choices about what installs on your computer!  I hope this comes out the way it is supposed to.

Here is a new technique I learned using only one Jelly Roll....of course it is a jelly roll that contained the three great fabric designers....Kaffe Fassett, Brandon Mably, and Phillip Jacobs!

Here is my quilt I am working on for our quilt show. How can one person LOVE Shabby Chic pastels and also love the brights of Kaffe Fassett????

Kaffe Fassett Quilt Top

SCOTTIE DOGS! Llots of 'em

I had a special order for some scottie dogs on my Etsy site....these little cuties
are for a birthday party as favors....great idea! Less than 24 hours from the time she
ordered them and they were shipped! How's that for service.....aren't they cute....here is the process (I forgot to take pics as I was cutting them out!).